The coldest hour
by RXGerbera
Summary: The Strike is destroyed in place of the Blitz, and the Naturals lose their only hope of survival. Ten years in the future, as Athrun struggles to find a reason to live, will the world find another hero? What if
1. The new Commander

_Gundam SEED does not belong to me._

_Sorry, English is not my mother tongue and I do not have a beta reader at the moment, so you will probably find some mistakes and the dialogues might come across as rather awkward . I apologize in advance for that._

_This story is set in the future, ten years after the events of Gundam SEED._

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* * *

  
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**The coldest hour**

** C.E. 71 - 15 of April  
**

Athrun saw the Strike raising its blade and he knew he was going to die. But, at least, he would have been free. Free from the pain to fight his friend Kira. Free from the expectancies that everyone put on his shoulders. From the grief that made his heart bleed every time his thoughts run to his mother. Free from his father's grasp.

He waited, but instead of the blessed blow a shout pierced his ear.

"Athrun!"

The blue-haired boy looked in disbelieve as the Blitz appeared out of nowhere, charging the Strike with one of its darts in its left hand.

Kira's mobile suit swung his blade but, few moments before to hit the Blitz, its large body was rocked by a massive explosion.

"Athrun, what are you doing?" Yzak shouted over the comm.

"Run, idiot" Dearka added angrily, shooting another volley of grenades against the Strike.

But Athrun couldn't do anything else but to watch.

Confused by the sudden attack the Strike lost his momentum, and the mobile suit of Nicol easily dodged the blade.

As if it was a slow motion movie Athrun saw the Blitz embed deeply its dart into the torso of the Strike, where it exploded.

Deeply damaged, the white mobile suit made two, three steps before Yzak charged it with his laser sabre.

"This is for Miguel and Rusty, you bastard" he shouted while slicing the Strike in two.

"KIRAAAA" Athrun could not stop himself screaming as the once powerful unit disintegrated in front of his eyes.

* * *

They were celebrating.

The muffled sounds of the party reached him, and Athrun unsuccessfully tried to block them pressing the hands against his ears. He could not blame his companions, though. The Strike had fallen and everyone on board was sure that the legged ship would soon have shared the same destiny. Victory was within grasp, after so many battles and losses.

No, Athrun could not blame them at all.

'_No, it's all of my fault if you died, Kira. I should have been more convincing. I should have kidnapped you yesterday and __took you here, where you'd have been safe among people like you. Oh, Kira, what have I done?' _

The door opened, but he didn't move, not even when he heard the gentle, almost feminine voice of Nicol calling him.

"Athrun…"

Not really wanting to see him, Athrun didn't look up.

"Nicol, please, leave."

"Not without you. What are you doing here all alone, Athrun? Why are you crying?"

He didn't reply.

'_Why do you have always __to be like this, Nicol? So gentle, sensible, so fucking affectionate to me? And then, what have you done today? You killed Kira…' _

"What's wrong, Athrun?" Nicol asked again, and Athrun snapped.

He felt his self-control evaporate as his eyes met Nicol's brown ones.

"You know… my best friend died today. Killed by you and the others. Sorry if I don't feel like celebrating."

Nicol paled. "Your best… what do you mean?"

"The Stike's pilot. I knew him. He was like a brother to me, can you understand that? Do you remember yesterday, the teenager with the bird? That was Kira."

"But he was going to kill you" Nicol faintly protested.

Athrun knew he was going to hurt the boy, the only person really kind to him in ZAFT, and that Nicol did not deserve that, but he could not stop his words full of rage, resentment and sadness.

"No. He would have never done something like that. He would have never harmed me, he was too sweet and too gentle to do something like that" he spat out, tears on his cheeks.

Now, the look on Nicol's face was of pure misery.

"Athrun… what if he killed me instead? Would have you been happier now?"

"Don't be stupid. He would have never killed you!" Athrun shout, looking away and erupting in inconsolable sobs.

After few seconds Nicol left.

"I'm sorry Athrun… I'm sorry to be alive" the young pianist quietly said, but his friend was not listening to him any more, lost in his own despair.

* * *

**Ten years later**** – Aprilius City**

The capital of the Solar System looked chilly under the pale moonlight. The artificial clouds lingered in the sky above, not hiding the stars that shined in the dark firmament, as if they were the brilliant eyes of some alien goddesses, who looked down amused at the human struggle to survive.  
The view was stunning, but Athrun wasn't exactly in the mood to appreciate it. Exactly ten years before the war that had killed so many among Coordinators ended with the complete defeat of the Earth Alliance forces and the blue planet, once cradle of all human life, became a place of sorrow and pain.

There the Coordinators, now the dominant race, fulfilled their promise to avenge the deaths of Junius Seven, turning the Naturals into slave workers, donors of genetic materials, and non consensual specimen. And he, Athrun Zala, the son of the man who successfully led PLANT in winning the war, could only watch, as his father twisted his personal vendetta into a genocide, and PLANT into a ruthless dictatorship. Nonetheless, it was a nation that had stretched its influence till the borders of the Solar System and beyond. The Coordinators adored Patrick Zala.

Now, ten years later, it seemed to Athrun that to watch, feeling every ounce of regret and grief, was the only thing left to him, since his friend Kira Yamato died at the hands of his comrades, so many years before on an anonymous island in the Pacific Ocean.

It seemed to him that he had shed all of his tears that day, turning into a mindless killing machine, just a marionette in the hands of his father. After Kira's death, the only light of redemption Athrun could harbour extinguished inside of him. He knew his father was only using him but it didn't matter any more.

After the war, he came back home decorated as a war hero and, carrying himself like a well trained puppy, he married the girl promised to him since their childhood. Lacus Clyne was an intelligent and caring woman despite the naïve appearances but, like him, she was nothing more than a decoration for the government.

He sighed deeply, tearing his eyes away from the sky and forcing his lips into a smile. He had chosen the wrong night to be that depressed. Because that was a night of celebration. His closest friend, the newly appointed Commander of the Orbital Fleet was coming over dinner, and Lacus had all the intentions to make the event a success.

'_It's only a dinner among friends'_ he had protested, but the young woman had been irremovable.

'_It's been a year since you last saw him, you should be happy'_ and saying that she had rushed to the kitchen to personally prepare the food.

Athrun smiled more convincingly at the thought, as after many years he still considered the pink haired woman the only light that shined in his miserable life.

He was still thinking at Lacus, wondering what she had in store for dinner, when he heard the door of the private lift of his mansion opening, and he turned to properly welcome his friend.

Nicol Amalfi smiled him back.

"Athrun" he said, and the blue-haired young man couldn't resist in raising his right hand to his forehead.

"Commander Amalfi."

"Oh, please…" the other exclaimed, laughing.

The two old friends shook hands, and Athrun had to admit that Nicol looked stunning in the white uniform of the officers of highest rank.

He still kept many pictures of when they were Red Coats at their first assignment on the Vesalius, and while he, Yzak and Dearka had remained more or less the same, Nicol had grown from the short, good-natured teenager into a tall young man whose eyes seemed always to hide something. And Athrun knew exactly when he had first seen that look on the once cheerful pianist.

Commander Amalfi was a serious and smart officer but, sometimes, he sorely missed the old Nicol.

"This color fits you" he said, nonetheless, to his friend.

"Oh, really? I liked the black one much more, you know, but it was so funny to see Yzak's face when I received this one."

"Is he still mad at you because you got promoted?"

"Sure. The guy he used to call a coward now shares his same rank. Believe me, at the ceremony he was green with envy. We work together pretty well, though. Yzak's not much of a strategist, but his value on the battlefield is unmistakable."

"Who? The man with the fanciest hair in the Solar System?" Lacus asked, appearing in the hall.

Her eyes lit up when they crossed Nicol's ones.

Lacus took his hands, and rose on her tiptoes to lightly brush his cheek with her lips.

"Welcome back to PLANT, Commander."

"Again? Can't you call me just Nicol?" he protested, smiling affectionately at her.

Athrun looked and them and smiled too, however, his was more just a weary grin.

* * *

The dinner was good as, even though they had cooks, Lacus sometimes insisted in preparing her own and Athrun food. And she excelled in that, like in everything she did.

His husband looked at her, gorgeous in her white and amethyst dress, chatting happily with Nicol. Despite he didn't have time to play piano any more, and her career as a singer ended long before, they still loved to speak about music.

Lacus was Athrun's legitimate wife, but he could not deny the fact that their marriage was nothing more than a façade, as it had always been. He was sure to have been in love with her, somewhere in the past, but now they were reduced to be nothing more than very good friends.

He was certain that she would have been much happier with someone else, someone who was not her disillusioned husband.

Athrun raised from his chair, smiling at the two and muttering the excuse to leave he had prepared.

"I'm leaving, my father sent me a message requesting my presence. Probably this will take the whole night… no, I'm sure of it."

Nicol looked at him with unreadable brown eyes and the trace of a pale smile on his lips, while Lacus nodded graciously.

"He's working you too much…"

"I know, but… eh, all things considered I'm the only heir he has."

The very word was bitter on his lips, but he tried to collect himself, not to look more cynical that he already was.

"See you soon, Nicol."

"I'll be around for a couple of days, we might have the chance to meet again."

"It'd be sweet. See you…" Athrun saluted, walking to the lift.

Once inside, he leaned heavily against the wall.

'_I knew he's your lover, but __it doesn't matter. Nicol deserves you much more than me. I just hope you two could be happy for these few hours.'_

He had another apartment in town where he could stay for the night, but the very thought to be alone scared him. So his fingers fumbled on the mobile keyboard, dialling a number. Perhaps, Meyrin was around to offer him a bit of comfort.

* * *

A tick silence descended upon them, disturbed only by the sound of Nicol's finger rubbing the rim of one glass.

"You should talk to him" he eventually said.

Lacus shook her head. "He already knows about us. It's fine for him, he has his own lover."

"I'm not talking about this."

"Please" she replied, her voice barely perceptible. "Allow me to think about it a bit more, maybe it's not the wiser solution to involve him. Athrun… you saw him, he's a very disenchanted man. He doesn't believe in anything, any more, he'll probably refuse to listen."

"You have to convince him. You know why."

Nicol looked away. "The reign of his father won't last forever and, when he'll be gone, the Council might decide they won't need the two weary symbols of the old tyrant any more."

"But Yzak seats in the Council, he won't sacrifice us. Isn't he part of the conspiracy as well?"

"Yes, but we can't wait that much. You are still very loved, and Athrun is a war hero, what if they decide to act now to weaken the power of Zala? The loss of his only son could be disastrous for him and… I don't want to lose you, Lacus."

Nicol raised to his feet, staring at her. "I love you Lacus, you know. I can't…"

She reached him, leaning into his embrace and gently brushing his short green hair.

"I love you too" she whispered. "But maybe it's you, the one who should talk to him."

Nicol shook his head. "I can't. He won't speak to me."

"Try…"

The young man pulled her closer, keeping his eyes on hers. "Lacus, I'm perfectly aware that, deep inside, he still hates me."

"Nicol, it was ten years ago…"

"Yes. Exactly ten years ago, in this same period, I, Yzak and Dearka killed his best friend, the one he considered a brother. He has never been the same after that, you know it. And you should understand him… you liked Kira Yamato too, isn't it?"

A shadow of that old scar resurfaced on her face but Lacus chased it away, frowning.

"Yes. But it was a battle, it was not that you wanted to kill him. You didn't even know who he was."

She lightly caressed his cheek. "In a sense, he was so much like you were in those years. So gentle and kind. I'm sure, you would have loved him too. But now, please, he's gone, while we are still here, and I need you so much tonight. Let's speak tomorrow about… everything else."

Then, she closed the distance between them to catch his lips in a passionate kiss.

* * *

Later that night, while watching Lacus peacefully asleep against him, Nicol couldn't help but to think that he had been indeed very lucky to survive all of those battles. But, perhaps, if he had died that day instead of Kira, maybe the future would have been totally different. It was a thought that had tortured him for years.  
_'Maybe he would have been here with you now…'_

Nicol smiled sadly, running a fingertip on Lacus' bare shoulder that peek out from under the blanket. He was glad to be alive, and with the woman he loved more than his own life, but he had to admit that he wasn't satisfied with the turn that his life had taken.

After the Bloody Valentine war, Nicol decided to stay in ZAFT and to pursuit a career in the armed forces, where he had the possibility to protect his own people even if, through the years, he had also witnessed things that put all of them to shame.

That was why Yzak, Dearka, and many others among the officers and the personnel of ZAFT agreed with him: the dictatorship of Zala had to come to an end, to mend the mistakes of the Coordinators.

'_Athrun is the key of everything. He, and that blond Natural, the leader of the resistance. How is her name… Cagalli… they have to meet.__ They are our only hope.'_


	2. Divergence

**C.E. 71 - 8 of May  
**

They were winning so thoroughly that the battle was not even a battle any more. It was complete annihilation, with ZAFT's mobile suits chasing even after those ships that were in full retreat.

Not that they had any place where to hide, with the entire area controlled by Coordinators.

Athrun gripped tightly the handles of the Freedom, the new mobile suit assigned to him just before the battle.

It was ten times better that the Aegis, and its movements were smoother and faster than those of any other mobile suit he had ever ridden, but he could not appreciate them. He had lived the past weeks dragging his body around with lead legs, fulfilling quietly the orders so that none could fathom how completely broken he was inside.

Le Creuset had probably guessed, watching him with a mocking smile when Athrun reported that they had finally defeated the Strike. Nicol knew too, of course, but the young pianist was considerate enough not to spill his secret, or Yzak and Dearka would have not acted that friendly around Athrun.

Confidences in their abilities restored by the fall of the Strike, the two had never been that wild in battle, even more after their team had shot down the Archangel, one week later the death of Kira. The accomplishment had granted to the Four Horsemen, as Athrun and his comrades were now called, the Order of the Nebula and the two newest Mobile Suits of ZAFT, the ZGMF-X10A Freedom and the ZGMF-X09A Justice.

Athrun stopped his train of thoughts to mindlessly launching a couple of missiles against two fighters, not allowing them to retreat. Few weeks before he would have never fired on those who weren't fighting back, but now even that did not bothered him any more.

He looked around, spotting on his right side the blue and orange shape of the Duel. Two other fighters had engaged it, but the pilot efficiently destroyed them in the blink of an eyelash, slicing one in two with its beam sabre and vaporizing the other with a large bazooka that, after the battle with the Archangel, had been installed on the left arm of the Duel to replace the Shiva railgun destroyed in that occasion.

Athrun's month twisted in dismay as the Duel aggressively charged other jets, breaking their resistance in almost no time.

It was hard to believe that Nicol Amalfi was now piloting it, as the Blitz and the Aegis were under repair and Yzak had been assigned to the Justice. But the youngest pilot of their team had changed considerably after the battle with Kira, as if his innocence had died that day too. He and Athrun were carefully avoiding each other, and the blue-haired Coordinator had yet to find the strength to speak to him.

'_Nicol__ had so clearly a teenage crush on me. Why did I have to break his heart like that? Why…?'_

But Athrun could not find a reply. He just felt like to sink alone in his misery and, somehow, he was grateful that, at least, he could fight to keep his mind and body busy.

Suddenly, the stern voice of Yzak echoed inside the cockpit.

"Athrun, can you read me?" he asked over the comm.

"Of course."

"What are you doing stuck there? I'm detecting a weird surge of energy inside the base."

"What?" Athrun mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows. "Where is Commander Le Creuset?"

"Can't trace him."

"Let's go to check."

"Definitely. Can't trust the Naturals, they could have something up their sleeve" Yzak sneered.

* * *

The bowels of the Alaska Base were marked with the craters of explosion. Several Mobile Suits were still fighting, but the ZAFT forces had almost secured the outpost.

"Athrun" Yzak called, his tone tenser than before. "My scanner identified something underneath, but I can't figure out what it is."

"Can be some kind of explosive?" he replied.

"It could be. It would have been wise for them to make sure the base doesn't fall in our hands."

A knot of dread coiled in Athrun's belly. "But their people are still inside…"

On the other side of the comm, he heard Yzak mumbling a muffled curse. "Do you expect from rats like those to care for their own comrades? Let's go to ruin their plans."

"You two. Return to the ship. Immediately."

Athrun froze at the sound of Le Creuset's voice.

Quizzically, he shot a look at the main screen of the Freedom. The well known white unit of Le Creuset had appeared in front of him, as if materialized out of thin air.

"Commander, we have a problem under…"

"Yzak Joule, this is nothing of your concern" Le Creuset said, cutting off Yzak's explanation. "I repeat, return to the ship. This is an order."

The man's voice sounded chilly to Athrun's ears, and so much different from the usual warm and calculating tone that the boy widen his eyes in surprise. There was something strange going on there, and Le Creuset's stern order did not for sure help.

"But, Commander, what the Justice is detecting is something that could harm our own forces."

"You are acting stupidly, Yzak. These are soldiers, prepared to die anyway. And look around, can't you see that this place is almost secured?" Le Creuset lowered his voice, at an almost sweet tone. "You too are just tired. Fall back, there's nothing to be worry here."

"What?"

Now, Yzak's voice had turned icy. He had never dared to question their Commander's orders, but this one was so peculiar, and the pressure of the latest battles had strained Yzak's nerves so tightly that Athrun started to fear that his silver-haired companion could do something stupid.

Imperceptibly, he moved the Freedom between Yzak and Le Creuset, and then connected the comm just with the Justice, so that only his companion could hear him.  
"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"I can't believe he said something like that. Even if we have almost secured the area, we can't be sure. Damn…"

"Calm down!" Athrun almost shouted, bearing his teeth. Then the video switched open, so that Patrick Zala's son could see the face of his Commander, deadly serious.

"Athrun Zala. You did well, so far. The sacrifice you had to endure was great, oh so great for someone young like you, and I suppose you don't want to ruin everything with a single act of insubordination, do you? Are you seriously doubting my judgement _now_? After all we've done to protect our homeland? After _all you have done_?" Le Creuset said, calm and collected as usual, and putting particular emphasis on his latest words.

The chill down Athrun's spine was almost painful. What was he doing, not trusting the man whose only goal was to defend PLANT? After the same man ordered him to slaughter his best friend and he _did_ it!

Breathing hard, Athrun slowly moved his Freedom away from Le Creuset.

"The Commander is right, Yzak, let's pull back" he said but, in that moment, all the alarms on his control panel chirped loudly to life.

"How can we ignore this, Commander?" Yzak shouted, his voice raising over the high-pitched sounds.

After the slightest moment of surprise, Athrun shook his head.

"Yzak, go down and try to stop whatever is happening" he commanded. Than he turned towards Le Creuset, while the Justice sprinted away from them.

"What's going on, Commander?" Athrun asked, tense. This time a soft, derisive laughter echoed trough the comm.

"It's too late. He'll die here, like you, like all the rest of these poor, misguided souls."

"What…?"

But he didn't have time to ask for an explanation, as the target warning system of the Freedom flashed, detecting a volley of incoming missiles from Le Creuset's CGUE. They were directed against the Justice.

Athrun easily intercepted all of them, preparing to fight.

He did not understand what was happening, but he was sure: he was not going to let Le Creuset harm Yzak in any way. Not when he was only trying to save his comrades.

Athrun shouted, all the pain and the anger he had felt for days exploding in his mind like multi-coloured fireworks.

The two Mobile Suits clashed, each pilot determined in winning his own interior battle.

* * *

**Ten years later**** – Aprilius City**

Athrun had always liked to visit the cemetery in the early morning. The air was clean but not chilly, and he enjoyed to walk on the luscious grass, wet with the artificial dew sprinkled on it just before dawn. None else was there, he was alone with all of the people who died to protect PLANT. The thought was somewhat pleasant.

He looked at the three graves placed in front of him, where he had just laid bouquets of flowers. Red for Rusty, like his fiery hair and temperament he remembered so well; orange for Miguel, like the colour he loved the most; and white, pure lilies for Rau Le Creuset, the man he killed with his own hands above JOSH-A.

Among the many deaths he caused, the loss of the blonde Commander was one of those he regretted the most, that was why he had not revealed the real reason behind his death, so that Le Creuset could be honoured with a grave in the resting place of the fallen heroes.  
Atrhun still did not know what his Commander was doing inside JOSH-A, and why he had asked them to leave, despite the fact that underground was hidden a Cyclops system that would have blown their forces to oblivion had Yzak not destroyed it just in time.

During their battle he had sensed something weird in Le Creuset, something odd in his words, but still after many years Athrun believed that his babbling about Kira being 'the Ultimate Coordinator' was only due to the strain of the war.

Athrun locked his eyes on the grave.

'_He acted all cool and controlled, but he was insane. Congratulating me for killing Kira, shouting me that the loss of that kid would have meant the end of the world as we knew it.'_

He raised his head, and in front of him, on top of the hill, he saw the flag of PLANT waving in the mild wind. The same flag that was displayed everywhere in the Solar System. In a sense, Rau Le Creuset was right, and Athrun had greatly contributed in annihilating that old world.

However, he could not fit into this new one, that he found somehow wrong. Especially in the anniversary of Kira's death, an eerie sensation used to slap him, leaving Athrun depressed and inconsolable. It was like trying to recall a painful nightmare from the past, that always eluded him.

'_Distorted. This word is twisted and fake.'_

Athrun exhaled deeply, feeling someone approaching. He turned around, to see Nicol walking towards him. The young man was wearing his pristine white uniform, but he had a dim look in his eyes.

"I knew you were here…"

"What's wrong?" Athrun could not figure out why Nicol needed him so early.

"You father called me. He want to see us. He's been trying to call you since 5 in the morning, but your phone was switched off."

Athrun couldn't help but to smile grimly, his pitiful lie of the night before slowly eroding.

"Where did you spend the night?" Nicol continued, appearing slightly guilty.

"I needed to stay alone, ok? And you needed to stay with Lacus. That's all."

"We've never wanted you to feel…"

"Alone? Abandoned?" Athrun retorted, not feeling exactly angry, just tired and disappointed. He waved an hand, finally speaking the words he had prepared months before, as soon as he knew about their affair.

"It's ok, Nicol. We both know what's going on between you and Lacus. And… I'm fine with it. Even if I don't love her _that way_ any more, I only wish my Pink Princess the best. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still her legal husband, but I'm content she's happy with you, and you deserve her much more than me." Athrun looked away, moved at the thought he had finally found the strength to put an end to his sorrowful relationship with Lacus. "She told me you two are genetically compatible and I really wish you could have the children I was not able to give her, I know how much she desires to be a mother. I'll talk to my father, I'm sure he won't deny me the permission to divorce from Lacus. All things considered we are no more the icons of the perfect world he created. You are one of his most successful officers, and for sure you are more fitted than me to fill the role."

A frigid smile touched Nicol's lips. "So, in the end of you impressive speech all comes back to your father and how you are persuaded you have failed him."

"It's the pure truth. I fail him everyday of my life just to be alive, while I know he'd preferred to have me dead after the war I won for the sake of his vendetta. So the masses would have adored me as fallen hero, the symbol of all they had to sacrifice. And the memory of my heroic gesture would have lasted forever, and not tainted with this mundane existence." Athrun shook his head. "And I fail Lacus too, for not being the husband she'd have wanted. And I fail you too, for…"

The blue-haired young man turned towards the graves, unable to complete his sentence. It was Nicol who chose to help him.

"For… not being able to forgive me, after so many years?" he said to Athrun, his voice cold, but with an hint of sorrowfulness. "Why can't you, Athrun? Because I've become the man your father wanted _you_ to be? Or because I decided to move on, while you're still indulging in the past?"

Surprised, because he did not expect that stern lecture from his friend, Athrun faced Nicol again, wearing a bitter expression.

"What do you mean?" he asked, harshly, but Nicol seemed unimpressed by his rage. He just shrugged.

"We all made mistakes, Athrun, during the war and after it. I regret them too. But you won't atone for those crimes acting like this, mourning endlessly a past you can't change."

A sour laughter shook Athrun. "And what should I do, so?"

"I'll tell you, but not here" it was Nicol's odd reply. Than he raised his cell phone. "And not now. Your father called us, it's better to go now. It could be important if he summoned you and the Joint Chief of Staff."

Athrun shifted uncomfortably. "So will Yzak be there as well?"

"Sure. And Lunamaria Hakwe. While Dearka is still on Earth, on a secret mission."

"Upon an order of my father?"

"Not exactly. He'll meet someone… someone we'll definitely need to introduce you."

Finally, Nicol's smile untied the knot of poignant recriminations they had thrown at each other. "Take that look off your face and quit grieving like an old lady" he whispered to Athrun. "The tide is turning."

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_First of all, thanks so much to all the readers who are following this story. I'm sorry it took me so long to update but since English is not my mother tongue it's quite a bid deal for me to write it :) And sorry for all the mistakes you'll find. Cookies for the brave soul who'd like to be my beta :)_

_Stice73: I'll definitely continue this, thank you so much for you patience._

_Tynuccia: to be perfectly honest I didn't plan Nicol and Lacus to be a couple, but as soon as I dropped the first sentences of this story it suddenly became a good idea. I find comforting the idea that the two that Athrun rejected found solace in each other, and with the death of Kira, the gentle Nicol was the fittest guy for our Pink Princess. I'm glad you agree with me! Yzak and Dearka will show up in the next chapter, as well as Cagalli and... someone else :)_


End file.
